Two relay races proved fruitful for the Ohio swimming and diving team the first night of the Mid-American Conference Championships.
Ohio sits comfortably in second place with 68 points, 12 behind pre-meet favorites Toledo and eight clear of hosts Miami.
The Bobcats got off to a fast start in the opening race of the night, finishing a close second in the 200-yard medley relay.
Rachel Heim gave Ohio the lead with the fastest backstroke split in the race (25.45), but sluggish breaststroke and butterfly legs by Allison Schaefer and Chelsey Bower, respectively, allowed Miami and Toledo to pull back and overtake the Bobcats.
Annie Donovan ended the relay with a blistering freestyle leg of 22.15, another race best, to nip the RedHawks for second by .08, with the Rockets hanging on to take first and the full haul of 40 points.
The second and final relay of the night, the 800 free, went much like the first, with the Bobcats again finishing second to Toledo.
Bower, Sarah Owen, and Amanda Traylor swam eight strong laps each, sending Heim into the pool for the final leg with nearly a half-second head start over Toledo's Jacy Dyer.
Dyer, however, made short work of closing down the usually reliable Heim, with the two in a dead heat heading into the last 100 yards. Dyer, who unlike Heim didn't swim in the night's first relay, soon left Heim in her wake and easily touched first to give the Rockets their second victory of the night.
I'm excited that we performed very well in both relays
with a school record in the 200 medley and the second fastest time in school history in the 800 (free) said coach Greg Werner. Its a better position than we were in last year so the team's upbeat.
Werner said he didn't regret his decision to race Heim in both of the night's races.
She (Heim) said she was definitely tired
but that's the second fastest 200 split in her life
said Werner. You have to tip you hat to Toledo
Jacy just had a monster split.
The action ratchets up tomorrow with a full day of swimming, beginning at 11 a.m. with preliminary heats and resuming at 7 with finals in the 50 and 500 free, 200 IM and 200-free relay.
Ohio has a strong chance to continue its strong start with contenders in all four of tomorrow's races. Bower is the defending MAC champion in the 50 free, and Traylor and Heim each have top-five MAC marks this season in the 500 free and the 200 IM, respectively. The Bobcats are 5-0 in the 200 free relay this season as well.
Ohio's divers will also hit the boards for the first time as Lindsay Hamilton and MaryRose Hillstrom lead a strong Bobcat group into the 1-meter finals.
Who knows where we'll stand at this time tomorrow night
said Werner. We just have to get our job done in the morning to have our fun at night.
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Sports
Cameron Dunbar
